The acceptability, personal outcome expectations, and expected effects of transport pricing policies

Acceptability and personal outcome expectations (i.e., the extent to which one expects to be better or worse off) of transport pricing policies were examined in relation to the expected effects of these policies on one’s own car use, congestion and environmental problems. Car users who commuted frequently by car and experienced congestion on a regular basis evaluated two pricing measures, which were mainly aimed at either decreasing congestion (by tolling at congested areas) or environmental problems (by a differential kilometre charge based on car mass). For the policy mainly aimed to reduce congestion, acceptability was higher and personal outcome expectations were more positive when respondents expected reductions in congestion when the policy was implemented. The policy aimed to reduce environmental problems was more acceptable and respondents expected to be better off in general when they expected reductions in environmental problems after its implementation. Expectations, both about a decrease in congestion and environmental problems were related to respondents’ personal outcome expectations of the policy mainly aimed to decrease environmental problems. We conclude that the acceptability of transport pricing policies are not necessarily low because car users expect negative effects on their car use, but rather because they are not be convinced that transport pricing policies will reduce congestion and environmental problems.     

Wider roads, more cars

The transport policy currently followed in many European cities seems to be a combination of investments in public transport in order to increase, or at least maintain, its market share, and road building in order to keep up with expected traffic growth. Apparently, there is a prevalent belief among policy makers that increased road capacity in urban areas does not in itself cause any growth in car traffic worth mentioning. Such a belief neglects the simple economic theory of supply and demand, as well as more specific theories about the dynamics of traffic under congested conditions. An empirical study of commuting patterns in two transport corridors in Oslo, Norway, shows that a considerable proportion of commuters are sensitive to changes in the speed of the respective modes of transportation. The mode chosen depends to a large extent on the ratio of door-to-door travel times by car and transit. Freer flowing traffic in the road network will induce a higher proportion of commuters to travel by car. Conversely, faster public transport will reduce the proportion of car commuters, but the effects of such improvements will be offset if road capacity is simultaneously increased. In addition to the relative speeds of car and transit, the parking conditions at the workplace are of great importance to the choice of transport mode.     

Two ways of defining sustainable mobility: Autolib’ and BeMobility

Abstract

European cities have emerged as laboratories for ‘sustainable mobility'. In the last few years, they have supported numerous electric car projects which combine clean engine technologies with offers on public or shared mobility. This paper compares two ongoing public electric car services in Berlin (BeMobility) and Paris (Autolib’). We explain how both projects shape future visions of sustainable mobility and transform regional transport systems in specific ways through their performative impact as local transport policy tools. Focusing on the socio-economic and political processes through which both projects were conceived and put into practice, we explain their differences as they reflect participating actors' interests in a French versus German industrial and transport policy context after the economic crisis in 2008. We find that whereas BeMobility integrates electric cars as one element in Berlin's intermodal transport system, and thus is centred around ‘intermodality' as the central vision of sustainable transport, Autolib’ in Paris essentially reproduces the dominant mode of private passenger car transport through adding a shared electric car fleet.     

Evaluating an Employer Transport Plan: effects on travel behaviour of parking charges and associated measures introduced at the University of Sheffield

Journeys to work form a significant proportion of all car journeys and employer transport plans have been advocated as a way to manage the transport needs of workers in order to contain the level of car trips and, therefore, emissions and other negative effects. A questionnaire survey and focus group interviews were used to evaluate the success of an employer transport plan implemented by the University of Sheffield in September 1997. The policy was associated with a marginal (7%) reduction in car use and promoted a limited increase in travel diversity. An objection to the principle of paying to park at work and ineligibility for a permit both deterred car use. The policy caused a re-evaluation of the journey to work. Nevertheless, a number of factors worked against switches in behaviour, particularly employees' perceptions of the university's motivation for introducing the plan and attitudes towards car use and public transport. Disincentives to car use need to be much more significant to persuade more employees to leave their car at home, and need to be tied to substantial improvements in the availability of non-car alternatives.     

Hyperautomobility and Governmentality in Auckland

Abstract

A number of cities around the world are associated with very high levels of private motor car usage, and Auckland provides an example of one of these ‘hyperautomobile’ cities. There are many problems with this system of transportation and dependence on the private car, including environmental, social and city design dimensions. Though there is a clear aspiration to move towards reduced levels of car usage in the city's transport and spatial planning strategies, there are major difficulties in implementation terms. We develop and consider future scenarios to 2041 to reduce these levels of motorization, and subsequent transport CO₂ emissions, with a much greater use of public transport, walking and cycling, urban planning, and low emission vehicles. The current implementability of such a ‘sustainable mobility’ future is however questioned in the current political and social context, and critically debated in terms of the available governance mechanisms and the limited attempts to shape the behaviour of the public. We conclude by calling for a reconsideration of the policy measures being considered, including the range and levels of application and investment; with a much wider framing of the transport planning remit, and carried out within a much stronger participatory framework for decision-making.     

Travelling Distances,Modal Split and Transportation Energy in Thirty Residential Areas in Oslo

A study of the use of car and public transport among residents in 30 residential areas in Greater Oslo indicates that urban planning variables have a significant influence on the energy use per capita for local transport. Residents in local communities with a high density and a short distance to downtown Oslo travel considerably shorter distances and use considerably less energy per capita than those who live in low-density, outer areas. This is true also when the effects of other variables are neutralized. The influence of urban planning variables on the modal split is lower than on energy use. The distribution between public and private transport is influenced most of all by car ownership.     

Evaluating an Employer Transport Plan: Effects on travel behaviour of parking charges and associated measures introduced at the University of Sheffield

Journeys to work form a significant proportion of all car journeys and employer transport plans have been advocated as a way to manage the transport needs of workers in order to contain the level of car trips and, therefore, emissions and other negative effects. A questionnaire survey and focus group interviews were used to evaluate the success of an employer transport plan implemented by the University of Sheffield in September 1997. The policy was associated with a marginal (7%) reduction in car use and promoted a limited increase in travel diversity. An objection to the principle of paying to park at work and ineligibility for a permit both deterred car use. The policy caused a re-evaluation of the journey to work. Nevertheless, a number of factors worked against switches in behaviour, particularly employees' perceptions of the university's motivation for introducing the plan and attitudes towards car use and public transport. Disincentives to car use need to be much more significant to persuade more employees to leave their car at home, and need to be tied to substantial improvements in the availability of non-car alternatives.     

Understanding resident satisfaction with involvement in highway planning: in-depth interviews during a highway planning process in the Netherlands

This study investigates resident satisfaction with provided involvement activities during highway planning processes, with particular attention given to the planned Southern Ring Road highway project in Groningen, the Netherlands. In-depth interviews with 38 residents living in the project area reveal important themes contributing to satisfaction. Satisfaction with passive information activities is motivated by the extent to which information addresses concerns, but (dis)trust in government and other information sources also plays a role. For residents preferring to obtain additional information, perceived access to such information and the extent to which it reduces concerns are also important to satisfaction. Finally, for residents who would rather participate actively, satisfaction is motivated by their perceived access to participation activities and the sense of being heard. Study results show how residents’ evaluations of the themes underpinning involvement satisfaction are based on their perceptions of actual project team activities and contextual factors.     

Emotions,habits and rational choices in ecological behaviours: The case of recycling and use of public transportation

Two field studies examined the role of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control, anticipated emotions, past behaviour and desire in the prediction of pro-environmental behavioural intention. The model of goal-directed behaviour (MGB) was applied to predict intentions to use public transportation instead of the private car for going to work (Study 1, N=180), and to recycle household waste (Study 2, N=154). Multiple regression and structural equation modeling were used to test the hypotheses in studies 1 and 2, respectively. As expected, results of the two studies indicate that negative anticipated emotions and past behaviour are significant predictors of desire to engage in pro-environmental action. Desire, in turn, positively predicts pro-environmental behavioural intentions. A direct link between past behaviour and intentions was also detected. Implications of the results for the promotion of pro-environmental behaviour are discussed.     

The Role of Satisfaction and Emotional Response in the Choice Mechanisms of Suburban Natural-Areas Users

The unique observations and experiences of users of suburban natural areas lead them to perceive their surroundings in a manner associated with their personal values. It follows that every individual has a unique cognitive decision-making structure. This paper examines users’ affective and cognitive evaluation of a particular suburban natural area by applying the means-end chain method to reveal the cognitive mechanism by which users link the attributes and benefits of an environmental public good with their own personal values. Analysis of a survey conducted of visitors to a Spanish suburban natural area (park) reveals the main attributes to be the opportunity to practice sports and proximity of the park and the main potential benefits to be the improvement of physical and psychological well-being. The desired personal values include fun, quality of life and self-fulfillment at the individual level and improved social relationships at the collective level. The paper also tests for cross-group, cognitive-structure differences in visitor groups, segmented by level of satisfaction and reported range of emotions, and finds that perceived physical and psychological health improvements and individual and social awareness increase with higher levels of satisfaction and emotional response. Therefore, the recommendations for natural area management suggested by these findings include enhancing the scenic beauty and peacefulness of suburban natural areas in order to improve the affective state of visitors because this could contribute to reducing social costs (including health care) within the area of influence of the natural area.     

Development of a scale of perceived environmental annoyances in urban settings

The construction and validation of an original scale was pursued to measure perceived environmental annoyances in urban settings. This scale included all the potentially aversive situations encountered in the daily lives of city-dwellers. The answers of 926 French respondents to our initial 68-item scale were first analysed. Using statistical techniques, the number of items was reduced to 51 from which the factorial structure was extracted. Seven principal dimensions emerged: feelings of insecurity, inconveniences associated with using public transport, environmental annoyances and concerns for global ecology, lack of control over time related to using cars, incivilities associated with the sharing of public spaces between different users, lack of efficiency resulting from the density of the population, and an insecure and run-down living environment. We also examined these dimensions of perceived environmental annoyances in urban settings according to the sex, age, occupational category and geographical location of respondents. The validated multidimensional scale constitutes a promising instrument for urban research that could usefully be employed in the emerging field at the interface between health psychology and environmental psychology.     

Giving parks back to people: a transportation study of New Orleans City Park with implications for improving public health

Park planning, once at the root of the profession during the nineteenth century, can again provide cities with a means to improve public health through restricting access to automobiles. This intercept study, conducted in New Orleans City Park, found that two-thirds of users support weekend street closures to automobiles. Widespread support (63%) exists even among the 72% of people who arrived by automobile. This study also found measurable stated benefits from restricting car access. For more than 53% of the sample that stated that they would walk more in a car-free zone, respondents noted that they would walk nearly 30?min more per month. These findings suggest that planners and policy-makers have a cost-effective option to improve cities and public health – taming the automobile in urban parks.     

Importance of public relations in recycling strategies: principles and case studies

The separate collection of waste, and especially of recyclables with specific collection systems, would not be possible without the involvement of the users. Apart from the physical installations such as collection containers, collection points, etc., the motivation of the users is an essential component. Motivation can be reinforced through public relations work. In addition to the underlying technical considerations, this paper describes the difference between communication in general and public relations and specifically examines public involvement in recycling. Through the use of examples, we look at the targeted users and typical media employed. Furthermore, we analyzes the development of public involvement. The examples show that public relations for recycling strategies relies to a great extent on attitudes, habits, and access to the target group. Thus, standardized procedures cannot be developed. For these reasons, public relation activities must be planned carefully and professionally and include an analysis of the target group, choice of media, and verification of success.     

PUBLIC ATTITUDES IN MASSACHUSETTS TOWARD THE RECREATIONAL USE OF DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY RESERVOIRS1

ABSTRACT: There is considerable controversy inthe Northeast surrounding the extent to whcih public drinking water reservoirs should be used for recreational purposes. This paper reports the results of two integrated studies of (1) recreation users of Quabbin Reservation, the largest inland water source in New England and (2) the general public of Massachusetts. Data were obtained by conducting on-site interviews of Quabbin users and through state-wide telephone interviews of the general public; both studies focused on assessing attitudes toward the recreational use of drinking water reservoirs in Massachusetts. Unlike the findings of a 1969 study conducted by Baumann, results showed that the majority of Massachusetts residents do not favor recreation-prohibiting laws for most activities. Most favored at least moderate use of reservoirs for recreational purposes. In addition, over all views were not as restrictive as present legislation would suggest. Finally, these findings suggest that current recreation-prohibiting laws should be reassessed in light of pugblic opinion which favors the use of these valuable resources.     

How organizational motives and communications affect public trust in organizations: The case of carbon dioxide capture and storage

Preventing climate change is among the greatest environmental challenges facing the world today. Recently developed carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technology is an important strategy to mitigate climate change. Public trust in organizations involved in CCS technology is important for successful implementation of this technology. This work adresses how inferred organizational motives and organizational communications affect public trust in these organizations. Study 1 (N = 264) showed that Dutch citizens generally have less trust in the industrial organizations than in the environmental NGOs involved in CCS. As predicted, inferred organizational motives (organization-serving motives versus public-serving motives) accounted for this difference. In Study 2 (N = 78) and Study 3 (N = 51) we used experimental designs. Both experiments showed that organizations that communicated arguments incongruent with inferred organizational motives instigated less trust than organizations that communicated arguments congruent with inferred organizational motives. Study 3 additionally showed that communicating an incongruent and a congruent argument together diminished the negative effects of the incongruent argument. In both Study 2 and Study 3 the effect of congruency on trust was mediated by perceived honesty of the organizations.     

Modeling Flow and Sediment Transport in a River System Using an Artificial Neural Network

A river system is a network of intertwining channels and tributaries, where interacting flow and sediment transport processes are complex and floods may frequently occur. In water resources management of a complex system of rivers, it is important that instream discharges and sediments being carried by streamflow are correctly predicted. In this study, a model for predicting flow and sediment transport in a river system is developed by incorporating flow and sediment mass conservation equations into an artificial neural network (ANN), using actual river network to design the ANN architecture, and expanding hydrological applications of the ANN modeling technique to sediment yield predictions. The ANN river system model is applied to modeling daily discharges and annual sediment discharges in the Jingjiang reach of the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake, China. By the comparison of calculated and observed data, it is demonstrated that the ANN technique is a powerful tool for real-time prediction of flow and sediment transport in a complex network of rivers. A significant advantage of applying the ANN technique to model flow and sediment phenomena is the minimum data requirements for topographical and morphometric information without significant loss of model accuracy. The methodology and results presented show that it is possible to integrate fundamental physical principles into a data-driven modeling technique and to use a natural system for ANN construction. This approach may increase model performance and interpretability while at the same time making the model more understandable to the engineering community.     

Multiple environmental burdens and neighborhood-related health of city residents

Urban living environments are known to influence human well-being and health; however, little is known about the multidimensionality of different environmental burdens. The aim of this study is to examine the relations between multiple burdens and self-rated health of city residents in Berlin. A spatial analysis was conducted to determine neighborhood street blocks with high versus low levels of three environmental burdens (traffic noise, air pollution, lack of public green space) as study sites for a cross-sectional household questionnaire. Burden level served as a dichotomous predictor to compare residents' self-reports of neighborhood satisfaction, life satisfaction, health behavior, and psychological and physical health symptoms. Residents from high-burden blocks appraised the environmental conditions more stressful, reported poorer health behavior and were less satisfied with their neighborhood than residents from low-burden blocks. However, they did not differ in regard to more general health symptoms. Three other burdens (behavior-related noise, litter and dirt in public space, lack of urban vegetation), which could not be varied objectively, were assessed by their perceived intensity. Regression analyses of the relations between the perceived levels of all six burdens and outcomes in the total sample revealed the following: Neighborhood satisfaction could be predicted from multiple stressors and resources that co-occur independently, while more general health symptoms were related only to perceived air pollution. The results have implications for both urban planning and public health.     

Vehicular air pollution and asthma: implications for education for health and environmental sustainability

Studies show a direct relationship between occurrence of asthma and increases of particulate matter in the air. Private transportation is found to be a significant contributor to this problem. The objective of this article is to explore this link between air pollution, asthma and vehicular dependency in order to provide recommendations for health and transport policy. This article focuses on the survey of literature on the relationship between vehicular air pollution and asthma; combining it with the literature on vehicular dependency or ‘car culture’ in the global context and in The Netherlands. This article exposes the imbalance of power between patient groups and polluting industries, and the government failure to protect the weaker party can be explained by corporate pressures. It will be argued that since air pollution is tied to the corporate support for the car industry and vested interests in promoting a ‘car culture’, strategic policy that claims to be concerned with public health should explicitly link the present pattern of mobility to public health. This article concludes with a recommendation for raising environmental health awareness by explicitly linking vehicular dependency to respiratory health through a combination of holistic and citizenship education.     

The use of personalised social marketing to foster voluntary behavioural change for sustainable travel and lifestyles

Changing public attitudes and behaviour is key to achieving the UK target of a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Top-down campaigns that have provided information to a passive public have not necessarily resulted in pro-environmental behavioural change. This paper examines the use of a personalised social marketing approach to engage the public in changing their personal travel. It provides the results of a project in the City of York to foster voluntary travel behavioural change. Using face-to-face discussions, personalised information and incentives, a statistically significant reduction in car use and an increase in cycling and the use of public transport were achieved over a six-month period. However, this change was not sustained 12 months later. The paper explores the contrasting perspectives on behavioural change and examines the possible lessons that can be learnt to foster voluntary behavioural change in other aspects of household consumption.